Poor platy!

[Lucy]

Hi all. I have a tuxedo platy that is having its top fin eaten by some baby 7 week old platys. My tank contains the following - 5 adult platys (1 blue, 2 red wagtail , 1 tuxedo and 1 mickey mouse); 3 platy fry 7 weeks old, born of the 2 red wagtails; a pleco; and today, I have just added 3 zebra danios.

The 2 red wagtails are the proud parents of the babies. The male red wagtail is extremely aggressive towards the other 2 male platys (the tuxedo and mickey mouse). He is always chasing them away from the female wagtail, and is also aggressive during feeding - in the past week I have had to put food in a corner for the tuxedo and mickey mouse to eat. In the last week, the tuxedo has appeared really stressed and has taken to sitting still amongst plants a lot of the time. Today, I noticed that the baby fry were eating his top fin.

I have put him in a nursery tank to give him some breathing space, but don't know what to do now. Can anyone help me please?

Lucy

PS - I have only been a fishkeeper since Christmas. Tank size = 10x12x15 (I am aware that it is probably overpopulated with the addition of the dannios but i was intending to give a friend the tuxedo & mickey mouse because they seemed unhappy). PH = 8.

 

[wetwetwet]

HiYa and welcome Lucy

The tuxedo should be able to get away or fend them off - the fact that he isn't and is a bit lethargic could suggest that he isn't well. You've done the right thing by isolating him. See if he perks up and keep an eye out for secondry infection from the damaged fins.

Keep us up to date as to his condition

 

[Lucy]

Today - he is much the same. Still not eating, not showing much interest in anything. However, the other male (the mickey mouse) is hanging around next to the nursery tank a lot. He seems to be lost without the tuxedo in the tank. They have both been unhappy for a while. I tested the amonia last night but that was 0. I am going to feed them some shrimp & bloodworms tonight to see if that perks them up - they usually go mad for it. I might see if Tuxedo fancies some - I doubt it.

 

[wetwetwet]

Fingers crossed

 

[Lucy]

March 7th

I have put mickey mouse platy in with tuxedo in nursery tank - red wagtail keeps coming up to nursery tank and making both of them rush away. The mickey mouse & tuxedo are still not eating - despite being offered shrimp!! Do you think it could just be a bullying problem? Does such a thing exist in Fish World?

 

[gadazobe]

You'd be suprised at what goes on in the fishy world You get pecking order, aggresive fish, timid fish, bullies and loads of other characters I recently lost a fish that was killed by a bigger bully

 

[Lucy]

Thanks for reassurance - I'm going to ship the weaker ones out to a friends tank. I don't want to get rid of the bully because he is one half of an effective breeding couple.